During the United Kingdom of the Netherlands his family settled in the southern Belgian provinces.

Cluysenaar studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels under Tilman-François Suys.

He took the initiative for some very profitable real estate projects—such as the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries in Brussels—in which he played the double role of architect and co-financier.

He received many commissions for designing large town houses (so called "hôtels"), mansions and châteaux.

His stylistic versatility is also apparent in the many public buildings he designed, such as the neo-Renaissance Royal Conservatory in Brussels and the "Tudor style" railway station in Aalst.